Though Changed, I Shall Rise the Same
by Avyrian
Summary: Just a random story a couple of friends and I put together that very loosely follows a LotR theme.  A young woman named Sonya is forced to traffic drugs in modern day New York and stumbles upon the LotR universe during an emotional crisis.


Hey Everybody, this is my first posted story and I know its kinda rough... I wrote it with the help of a couple friends in under an hour and a half. Any reviews are welcome, but please no flames. (I know its not that great)

Disclaimer******- I do not own the rights to the Lord of the Rings references and character usage in this story. I do, however, own all original content!

_Though Changed, I Shall Rise the Same_

Sonya was crouching next to a drab gray building in the slums of New York with her two shivering children. They hadn't eaten or bathed in days and were drinking from the gutters or from puddles on the ground. They were constantly shunned by polite society and had no place to call home.

Sonya lived on the shady side of the law. She was forced to partake in drug trafficking to support herself and her children, an unsavory life for a necessary cause. Sonya is pure in heart, but she sacrifices herself and her ideals to support her family. Sonya's one dream in life was to see her children succeed, in their current position, this will never happen. Away from home most days, Sonya leaves her children alone with no mother figure, no one to care for them, and no role model.

While venturing out late one night to deliver a customer's order, she finally accepted the revelation that what she was doing was morally wrong no matter what state she and her family were in. She took the drugs and hurled them off the Brooklyn Bridge into the swirling depths of the East River. Fearing retribution from her drug lord, she ran straight home, purposely neglecting to check in with her boss. As soon as she reached her house, she went right to bed but was unable to sleep because she was in constant fear of what tomorrow would hold.

Early the next morning, she woke up groggy and exhausted, sensing that something was amiss. Scanning her surroundings, she saw the usual filth of downtown New York, but one thing was missing. Her children were gone. She collapsed into darkness…

In a panic she woke, leaping from the ground, and frantically calling her children's names as she burst out of her small dwelling place and ran down the alley into the crowded streets of the city. Pushing through the sea of bodies, she sprinted to the old shack on the outskirts that her drug lord operated from. She was fairly certain that because she had thrown his precious drugs into the river, he kidnapped her kids as a form of revenge. She banged on the door desperately, only to discover that it was unlocked. Cautiously Sonya entered the shack, but it is abandoned. Her children were nowhere to be found.

Her mind reeling, she thought back to the times that she spent with her children. Despite their poor state, these times were the only joys Sonya could remember in life. Desperately, she began to run, searching for a sign- some form of guidance- anything that could help her. She searched the city day and night until she lost track of time. Days passed into darkness and faded back into being.

Finally, giving up all hope, she headed toward Central Park. Believing that her life was no longer worth living, she wanted to see one last beautiful sight before she ended it. Heading to the largest lake in the park she decided that drowning herself would be the quickest way to end her miserable life. Before she jumped in to the water, she prayed to God for the safety of her children and a quick and painless death. Taking one last painful breath of air, she jumped into the lake. The last thing she felt before the darkness engulfed her was a pair of strong arms around her pulling her to oblivion.

As quickly as her vision faded, it suddenly refocused with a dream like blur. Sonya was suddenly swept up out of the water by a man with a merry face and a jolly voice.

Tom Bombadil, a mysterious ancient soul living deep within the Old Forest, was on his usual morning stroll, and noticed the body of a young woman drifting down the WithyWindle River. Realizing that the young woman was helpless in the current, he ran into the water, splashing his way toward her. Quickly picking her up, Tom carried her back to his cottage. Soon the young woman awoke. Looking into her blue eyes, he saw depths of endless suffering, causing him to pause his singing for a moment, and ponder what could have caused such emotional pain. Tom had an enormous caring spirit and was determined to help her in any way possible.

Confused, Sonya lay in this strange man's arms. When Tom looked into her eyes, he exuded a warmth and comfort unlike any she had ever felt. After a long arduous hike, Tom and Sonya finally arrived at his small woodland cottage. Tom laid Sonya on his bed to let her recuperate from her experience and wandered out to collect berries for dinner. Sonya attempted to fall asleep but was feeling restless and decided to walk around Tom's cabin. The cabin was small and her exploration didn't last very long before she found the pantry. Figuring that she would help Tom because he saved her life, she searched for suitable breakfast food. Pouring a bowl of Wheaties, she made her way back to Tom's room and waited for Tom to return.

About an hour had passed before Tom's signing slowly came back within hearing distance gradually increasing in volume until he stood in front of the door. He found Sonya out of bed and waiting for him with a bowl of Wheaties. He merrily sang a greeting and waltzed into the kitchen with his bundle of fresh berries. He sat down at his table, while Sonya placed the bowl of cereal in front of him. Sonya finally spoke: "Thank you for saving my life, but I did not want your help. My children have been taken from me and my life has no purpose. All I am is a burden to society, struggling to survive by doing things that are morally unjust. You ruined everything." "You have much hatred and sorrow in you heart", said Tom Bombadil. "If you allow me to, I can help you through this difficult time. All you need to do is realize that all life has meaning and is worth living." Sonya stormed out without another word.

Sonya ran blindly through the forest smashing through the brush to get away from the cheerful old man. She could not stand to be in such close proximity with such an optimistic person. She could clearly see that there was no hope for her or her children and the man was trying to merely placate her into a false sense of hope. Losing all sense of direction, she journeyed deeper into the WithyWindle forest. Darkness slowly closed in around her as the canopy became denser overhead and the old forest lost all trace of happiness. The thick stands of trees created a dark and foreboding place. A haunting but luring melody slowly rose out of the surrounding silence as the wind whistled through the dark, shadowy place. In a trance, Sonya headed towards the source of the mesmerizing music.

Eventually, Sonya came upon an enormous and menacing Willow Tree. Shadowy vines draped ominously overhead, seeming to move of their own accord in the grasp of the howling wind. Drowsiness overcame Sonya and she sank to her knees. Darkness enveloped her, as the tree seemed to loom overhead. A false serenity engulfed her mind and lulled her to sleep. When all hope of escape seemed lost, a faint but clear melody could be heard in the distance.

Tom Bombadil, knowing that Sonya would not last long deep inside the WithyWindle forest alone, figured he would rescue her yet again. As he skipped through the forest, dark became light and life flooded back into the world around him. Pure of heart and soul, Tom was immune to Old man Willow's tempting tune. Pushing forward through the brush and into the heart of the forest, he spotted Sonya unconscious and consumed in the corruptive beauty of Old Man Willow's song. Stepping forward, he revealed himself in the small glade, banishing the shadows around him and bringing light into a once dark world. Tom Bombadil came yet again to save the day. A gentle but strong man, he approached Old Man Willow and kicked him in half, freeing Sonya from her imprisonment.

Free from her curse at last, Sonya looked up at Tom with gratefulness shining in her eyes. Regarding her silently, Tom swiftly carried her away from the wreckage of the destroyed tree. Finally speaking, Tom proclaimed," we will go to the Mines of Moria and find my dear old friend Balin. You must not stay in this forest alone; you must accompany me on my quest." Tom's thirst for life wrapped around Sonya and she felt a sense of purpose. Why not accompany Tom on this journey she thought? She found she wasn't ready to give up on life when she was around this strange forest man. Tom Bombadil and Sonya journeyed out of the forest and headed towards the dark, ancient depths of the Mines of Moria.

After traveling across the vast plains of Rohan and the snowcapped, towering peaks of the Caradhras Mountains, Tom and Sonya arrived at the shimmering gate lit by moonlight. In the search for Balin, they ventured into the darkness of the caverns, as Tom's voice echoed off the walls. As merry singing seemed to be the only light in this dark world, a small sliver of pure moonlight shone down through a single fissure in the miles of stone that separated them from the surface of the Middle Earth. Like a sentinel standing alone in the dark, it seemed to guard a small doorway, upon which the pure beam of light shone down upon a pearly white slate of rock. Mysterious runes of some foreign language covered this seemingly luminescent slab. Although it was the only light present, it possessed an eerie and foreboding nature. Tom slowly approached behind her, as he read the inscription: " Here lies Balin, son of Hrundin, Lord of Moria." "He is dead then" Tom cried. "It is as I feared. Balin saw only what he didn't have in life and he was blind to it's true worth. He was not so different from you. He was lost in the darkness of these mines and blinded in life by what was stolen from him. Balin was in love with his precious mithríl just as you are with your own children, and paid with his life to take back what was rightfully his. You must stand up for who you are and what is yours. Fighting for what we believe in is what defines us in life, and soon you will have your own opportunity to forge your own path and take back your children."

Sonya reflected upon her own life while Tom spoke and saw the truth in his words. A fiery determination flared in her eyes as she resolved herself to do whatever it took to save her children. Deep in thought, she did not immediately notice as Tom slipped away and the last vestiges of light faded from the room. Sonorous drumbeat rolled in the distance far below and a dim red glow appeared at the end of the vast corridor. Sonya stood firm even though fear rippled through her veins, and every instinct in her body pressed her to run for her life. She remained rooted in place as her selfless love for her children bound her. Somehow, she knew that this was her moment to fight and maybe even die for what she believed in. An all consuming and blazing, but shadowy figure emerged from the far archway, towering above Sonya, and she had no choice but to retreat back to the perilous path that led to the Bridge of Khazad Dûm. Heroic music played in the background as she frantically leapt across the rapidly failing ground beneath her feet. With the Balrog close at hand, the flooring collapsed revealing an ominous, never ending chasm below. Both figures tumbled into the abyss and seemed to fall for a lifetime through the earth below. They were swallowed by the darkness, and Sonya's vision once again faded until only a pinprick of light in the distance could be seen. Her life flashed before her eyes as she remembered the joys of her family and realized that she lived only for them. The two shadows in the gloom fell past stars and galaxies and even through time itself as the universe spiraled around them. The chaos of the world was overwhelming, but Sonya's will remained sturdily in place as she focused upon all that was life and the last glimmer of hope that she held in her mind.

Suddenly, violent colors swirled into existence around them, melding together until they abruptly halted and Sonya felt a solid surface beneath her feet once again. The vast expanse of New York revealed before her as she looked down from above upon her lofty perch. Sonya stood and saw another dark figure rising a short distance away. The mysterious man removed his hooded cloak and she quickly recognized his face, hatred bloomed in her eyes. His voice was snakelike and raspy as he spoke in a mocking tone, "so, we meet at last. This is the end. Only one of us will survive this encounter, and how can you hope to kill me. You have always been too much of a coward for confrontation, and have always done my bidding. Though, do I see a change in your eyes? Do you have enough courage to face death? You may be different than before, but you will still die by my hand- just like your sniveling little children." (insert evil laugh here…) She stood face to face with the drug lord on top of the world, in no other place than the peak of the Empire State Building. Sonya's only reply was, "Unlike you, I have seen what is beyond death. You on the other hand will only feel the fires of hell in the afterlife, where you belong. Though changed, I will rise the same." Seeing her children in her mind's eye, she finally snapped and with all her might, hurled herself at the villainous man, knocking them both off of the ledge of the spire. Falling once again, she attacked him one last time before the ground swept up toward them.

Closing her eyes and bracing herself for the impact and pain to come, she was amazed when instead of hard ground, cold water embraced her. She felt a familiar pair of arms around yet again and heard an all too recognizable melody. She was back in the WithyWindle forest with Tom Bombadil. He carried her back to his cabin once again, but this time, instead of singing, he remained silent. As they approached, soft and joyful laughter could be heard from within, and Sonya's heart leapt as she recognized it to be that of her children. Pulling herself free from Tom's grasp, she rushed inside embracing her children at last. Together once more, Sonya and her children rejoiced at their reunion. Finally separating herself her children's affectionate hug, Sonya saw Tom standing in the door frame, grinning. "What happened? Are we dead?" asked Sonya. Tom's demeanor softened slightly, and he smiled knowingly, merely saying, "think of this as a new life and a new adventure."

-Yep, its rough but its complete... Thanks for reading it! Any reviews are welcome!

God Bless!

-Avyrian


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